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Don’t be so quick to toss your food!

More than 90% of Americans throw out food prematurely, and 40% of the U.S. food supply is tossed-unused every year because of confusion around food dating.

Is your food actually expired? Sell-by and use-by dates are adding to millions of pounds of wasted food each year. According to a report from the Natural Defense Council (NRDC) and Harvard Law Schools Food Law and Policy Clinic, Americans are throwing out food too quickly due to a misunderstanding about the expiration date labels. Stamped by manufacturers, the dates indicate freshness and the peak of the product.

Re-education starts with a clear understanding of what the dates mean.

Use-by and Best-by: Date is intended for consumer to deem peak freshness of product. This does not indicate spoilage or safety to eat the food.

Sell-by: Date is intended for manufacturers and retailers, not the consumer. It is a stocking and marketing tool to ensure proper turnover of products in a store.

Check out this article from TIME. For some examples of foods you are probably throwing away too early according to TIME, click here. For the full report and recommendations from the NRDC, go here.